Modular building units

ABSTRACT

The modular building unit comprises an integral frame of floor, ceiling and wall elements, covered on its interior surface with an integral cover member anchored to the frame. The cover member is made up of an apertured core such as wire mesh and spaced rods embedded in cementitious material. The exterior is completed where exposed to the atmosphere by inserting finishing elements between adjacent frame members and by a variety of exterior covers as may be desired.

1 Apr. 1, 1975 United States Patent 1 Feldman et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1 MODULAR BUILDING UNITS Inventors:Albert Feldman, 4 Upton Rd.;

652,375 4/1951 United Kingdom 52/251 1,518 637 2/1968 52/79 RobertFeldman, 27 Larnis Rd., both of Framingham, Mass. 01701 May 29, 1973OTHER PUBLICATIONS Structures, by McGraw Hill, 1956, pages 53,55, 57, 58and 59.

[22] Filed:

Appl. No.: 364,980

Related US. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No.

115,276, Feb. 16, 1971,

Primary Examiner-John E. Murtagh Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Joseph Zallenabandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 53,675, May 1,1970, abandoned.

[57] ABSTRACT The modular building unit comprises an integral frame offloor, ceiling and wall elements, covered on its interior surface withan integral cover member anchored to the frame, The cover member is madeup of an apertured core suchas wire mesh and spaced rods embedded incementitious material. The exterior is com- 02 ....0 Zoo M M l63 2 5 2001 53 1 23 5oo ma .3 9,9070, h5oo 423 ZMU 5 6 2 0H3 WM S umfid mur mmm987 L C 05 5 3m U.| .F H 555 III [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS pleted where exposed to the atmosphere by inserting finishingelements between adjacent frame members and by a variety of exteriorcovers as may be desired.

15 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures Gamber................

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PMEHTED APR 1 i975 SHEET 7 Bf 7 MODULAR BUILDING UNITS CROSS-REFERENCETO PATENT APPLICATION This is acontinuation of our co-pending patentapplication of the same title, Ser. No. 115,276 filed Feb. 16, 1971, nowabandoned, which in turn was a continuation-in-part of our thenco-pending but now abandoned patent application of the same title, Ser.No. 33,675 filed May 1, 1970.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to buildingstructures. In particular it relates to prefabricated or modularbuilding units made of cementitious material.

Many attempts have been made in the past to reduce the cost of buildingstructures by prefabricating the buildings or portions thereof ordesigning modular units. Cementitious building structures as have beenpreviously described have suffered from one or more disadvantages. Oneparticular disadvantage has been the inability to transport a modularunit to its site because of its excessive weight. Another disadvantageis that in handling or transportation, severe cracking often takes placewhich cannot be repaired.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel buildingstructure and method for its construction which provides modularCementitious building units of substantially less weight than previouslydescribed prefabricated or modular units.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a buildingunit which would be economically transportable.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a building unitwhich has greatly improved resistance to cracking.

Another object of this invention is to provide a building unit which canbe completely or partially constructed in a factory.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a building unitwhich can be used with other similar units to provide larger buildingunits or multiple apartments.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thedescription and claims which follow taken together with the appendeddrawings.

Summary of Invention The invention comprises broadly an enclosedbuilding unit. The unit has an intergral frame having floor, ceiling andexterior wall framing elements with provisions for open portions such aswindows, doors, stairs, chimneys, conduit spaces and the like. Extendingover substantially the entire interior surface of the frame, except forsaid open portions, is an integral cover member which forms the floor,ceiling and walls. The cover member comprises an apertured coregenerally rigid but with some flexibility as, for example, spaced rodsand wire mesh. The core is anchored to the frame on all sides and isembedded in Cementitious material. The layer of core embedded inCementitious material can be quite thin, for example, from aboutone-quarter to one-half inches in thickness. In one example, the floorhas a thickness of about 1 /2 inches and wall and ceiling thickness ofabout inches.

In one form of the invention, the frame of the building unit ispreferably made from peripheral and intermediate horizontal studs forthe floor and ceiling and In a second form ofthe invention, the frameelements comprise spaced rodswrapped with wire mesh and embedded in a cementitious material. The peripheral horizontal elements. alsopreferably include steel channel beams. The core of the integral covermember preferably comprises layers of wire mesh.

In a preferredconstruction for the first embodiment, a first steel wiremesh layer e.g. 22 wire gage having about /2 inch openings, ispositioned on the interior surfaces of the steel studs on all sides andattached to the studs. A rod layer comprising spaced steel rods e.g. 12gage, is laid over the mesh and attached to the studs by ties, staplesor the like. A second wire mesh layer is then positioned on and attachedto the rod layer. A

high viscosity Cementitious material e.g. cement orconcrete, is thenapplied to fill in and surround the rod and mesh layers e.g. to athickness of about inch to 1 /2 inch. After the Cementitious materialhas cured, the combined layers provide a continuous cover str uctu re.The space between adjacent studs is then filled with insulatingmaterial'such as fiberglass, foam, plastic, asbestos, rock wool, orsimilar low density insulating material, as may be desired. 3

If the particular wall, ceiling, or floor is to be exposed to theatmosphere, cementitious material may be applied to the exteriorsurfaces of the studs in question.

In a preferred construction for the second embodiment, a transverselygrooved wire mesh core is used for the floor and ceiling, a floor orceiling framing element is formed from rods spaced within a groove andwrapped with mesh, a vertical forming element is formed from rods spacedadjacent the ends of the grooves and wrapped with mesh, and a horizontalperipheral framing element is formed from a beam e.g. steel beam, inconjunction with spaced rods wrapped in wire mesh.

Other finishing material may be applied to the exterior as may bedictated by various designs. These include wood, clapboard and metal. Atthe factory, interior portions, kitchen cabinetry, pre-assembled doors,and pre-assembled windows are fitted and installed. Other interiorfinishing such as painting, electrical services, and leads may also beaccomplished at the factory. Accordingly, except for the foundations,the building unit is ready for installation when it arrives at the site.

Because of its construction, the building units of this invention may bestacked or arranged in various combinations with suitable interiordesigns so as to provide single or multiple dwellings or officebuildings or industrial buildings of a wide variety of size and scope.

Because of their construction, the building units of this inventionrequire much less material than previously described prefabricatedbuildings. Accordingly, building units made in accordance with thisinvention are sufficiently light in weight to enable them to be han-.dled by conventional transportation, cranes and similar lifting devices.Thus, the building unit illustrated in FIGS. 1-11 in the drawings, hasapproximate dimensions of 42 feet by 14 feet by 8% feet and weighs only24,000 pounds. Concrete structures of the same volume typically weigh atleast double. A 12 foot width is used in many instances because it isthe maximum usable on roads and railroads in the United States.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an end view of the frame of abuilding unit made in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric diagrammatic view of the frame of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged interior view of the end wall showing thefirst wire mesh layer attached to horizontal and vertical framingelements.

FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged interior view as in FIG. 3 showing the rodlayer extending over the wire mesh layer.

FIG. 5 is a more enlarged partial interior view as in FIGS. 3 and 4,showing the second wire mesh layer extending over the rod layer.

FIG. 6 is a section along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a slightly enlarged similar view as in FIG. 6 but in this caseincluding the cementitious layer interspersed in and surrounding themesh and rod layers.

FIG. 8 is a similar view as in FIG. 6 with the addition of an exteriorassembly of a first wire mesh layer, a rod layer and a second meshlayer.

FIG; 9 is a slightly enlarged partial view of FIG. 8 showing acementitious layer interspersed in and surrounding the exterior mesh-rodlayer as well as the interior mesh-rod layer.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a corner of the end showing interior andexterior cementitious-rod-mesh wall layers and their attachments toframing elements.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view of an assembly of three enclosed buildingunits made in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 12 is a partial end view with partial cutaway showing the mold usedfor forming the wire core of the floor in accordance with a secondembodiment of this invention.

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective end view with cutaway showing two wirelayers substantially coextensive with the floor and positioned in themold of FIG. 12 with a third layer (shown prior to insertion)substantially coextensive only with the groove portions.

FIG. 14 is a partial sectional view with cutaway showing the wire layerspositioned in the mold of FIG. 12, together with spaced rods in thegrooves.

FIG. 15 is a partial end view with partial cutaway showing the joiningof the floor in the mold with a base of the wall.

FIG. 16 is a partial end view with partial breakaway showing a floor,wall and ceiling, wherein the mold has now been removed and the wiremesh and rods embedded in cement.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF INVENTION FIGS. 1-11 relate to an enclosed buildingunit made in accordance with this invention which is of a size and shapeparticularly useful for standardized factory production, ease ofhandling with'conventional equipment, and suitable for transportationover the highway. Thus, the illustrated unit has approximate dimensionsof 42 feet by 14 feet by 8 /2 feet and with such a unit the interiorscan be arranged and laid out in a wide variety of designs.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame for the building unit consistsof peripheral, horizontal steel studs 12, and intermediate, horizontalsteel studs 12a as the floor framing elements; peripheral, horizontalsteel studs 121 and intermediate horizontal steel studs 121a as theceiling forming elements; and vertical steel studs 11, 111, 116, 117 and118 on the end wall 10 and corresponding vertical steel studs on theother end wall and the two side walls as the vertical wall framingelements attached to and extending between the floor and ceilingelements. By means of intermediate framing elements such as 113, 114,115, 113a, 114a and a, open portions are provided in the frame forwindows 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108 and doors 109 and 110. Bysimilar intermediate framing open portions for stairs, chimneys, conduitspaces and the like can be provided.

The framing elements illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be assembled in avariety of ways, thus, for example, they may be pre-assembled as wallsor cross frames. In all cases, the completed frame resembles a six-sidedcage wherein the steel studs are firmly attached to one another bywelding, bolting or the like. In the illustrated example, the studs areuniformly spaced about 21 inches apart on their centers. The particularstuds illustrated in the drawings are I-beams about two inches wide and4 inches deep. Each beam thus provides an interior surface of about 2inches, an

exterior surface of about 2 inches and a space between' these surfacesof about 4 inches.

As explained in detail below, the basic integral cover member of thisinvention is formed and abuts on the inner interior surface of thestuds. Supplemental cover portions are applied to the exterior surfacesof the studs where such surfaces are to be exposed to the atmosphere.The sheets of insulating material are inserted so as to be positionedbetween the interior and exterior cover members and are generally fittedbetween adjacent steel studs.

After the frame has been formed, the first wire mesh layer is applied tosubstantially all the interior surfaces of the studs, except for theopen portions, including the walls, floor and ceiling. This first wiremesh layer which can itself consist of one or more thicknesses of wiremesh, is attached to the steel studs by ties, staples or the like. Asuitable wire mesh, for example, would consist of 22 gage steel having kinch openings.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 the end wall interior is covered by wire mesh13 which extends over and is attached to vertical I-beams 111 and 112and horizontal I-beams l2 and 121. After the first wire mesh layer,which as indicated previously can be single or multiple construction, isapplied over substantially all of the interior steel stud surfacesincluding the walls, floor and ceiling, a rod layer comprisinghorizontal steel rods 14 spaced 6 inches on center is applied over allthe wire mesh. The rods, e.g. 1 2 gage steel, are tied to the steelstuds on 4 inch centers by ties, staples, or the like.

A further wire mesh layer 15 which can also be either singular ormultiple, is then applied over all of the rod layer 14, as illustratedin FIGS. 5 and 6 and is tied to the rods.

The final step in the construction of the integral cover member is toapply a heavy viscosity, cementitious material 16 such as a mortar mixof Portland cement and sand, which can be applied with a trowel. Thiscementitious material 16 is interspersed in and surrounds the mesh androd layers, thus providing as the integral cover member anchored to theframe, a continuous interior wall of about A inch thickness.

Where there are exterior cover portions of mesh and rod layers, as forexample, FIG. 8, a similar cementitious layer is applied thereto. i

It should be noted that the ties and staples referred to above, althoughpresent in all the rod constructions as described are illustrated onlyin FIG. 9 so as not to obscure the pattern of the various mesh and rodlayers.

Further, although there has been no specific illustration showing aninsulating layer or panel in position between adjacent studs and betweenthe exterior and interior surfaces of the studs, it can be readilyapparent from the drawings where such insulating panels or blocks wouldbe positioned. Thus, having reference to FIGS. 7 and 9, an insulatingblock would be perpendicular to the surface of the drawing and cover thestud portion 11. Thus, a wall, ceiling or floor which is intended to beexposed to the atmosphere constructed in accordance with FIG. 9 would inaffect have a sandwich of exterior and interior cementitious wire-rodlayers enclosing insulating blocks or material.

In the second embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 12 to16, the elements of the integral frame are formed of spaced bars andwire mesh rather than the studs exemplified in the first embodiment,except for flat steel beams at the base and top of each wall.

Having reference now to FIGS. 12 and 16 and treating FIG. 2 asschematic. the floor and ceiling elements of the integral frame areformed by shaping wire mesh as, for example, steel mesh in a mold (e.g.wood or plastic), the mold having transverse grooves in which steel rodsare spaced adjacent the edges of such floor and ceiling mold assemblies.Wall frame elements are assembled comprising horizontal spaced rods withsteel channels on top and bottom with vertical rods spaced at the end ofeach groove and tied in to the transverse rods. After this tie in, wiremesh is wrapped around both the vertical rods and the horizontal rods soas to provide a caged structure similar to the schematic view in FIG. 2.While assembling the frame elements, floor, ceiling and wall cores areformed with layers of wire mesh.

After the frame elements and the mesh layers have been assembled, theirsurfaces are covered on both sides with a high viscosity cement having ahigh compressive strength. Such a cement in parts by weight is 100 partsPortland Cement, I00 parts of sand and 44 parts of water, which has acompressive strength in excess of 7000 p.s.i. Generally, the compressivestrength of cement used in this invention should be at least 5000 p.s.i.and preferably at least 7000 psi.

The mold 301 is coextensive with the dimensions of the floor or ceilingto be formed but can be made in sections for ease of handling. The mold301 has transverse grooves 302 spaced at regular intervals as, forexample, on 4 foot-centers and has a front face 303 and a top face 304.

In assembling this embodiment, the floor mold 301 is placed in positionon a working surface and covered with successive inch wire mesh layers305 and 306 which extend into the grooves and over the entire top face304 as well as the front face 303. The wire mesh in effect contributesto both the floor framing elements, which are to be constructed in thegrooves, and the floor itself, which extends the area of the top surface304. For reinforcement, a third somewhat larger wire mesh layer 307 as,for example, 4 inch mesh, is placed in each groove with only a smalloverhang on the top surface 304. Wire mesh layers 305 and 306 are formedby pressing into the grooves. It is understood that these layers can beapplied with adjacent sections which are tied to one another. Mesh layer307 is preferably preformed and then inserted into the groove asillustrated in FIG. 13.

The floor framing element is constructed in each groove by means ofupper rods 308 and lower rods 309. These rods preferably have bent overends 308a and 309a so that they may be attached to vertical wall frameelement rods 310 by means of ties 312 and 313. Rods 310 are welded to ahorizontal longitudinal channel 360 which forms the base of the wallframe. Attached to the base 360 and tied into rods 310, 308 and 309 arelongitudinal horizontal rods 311.

In a similar fashion, wall framing elements comprising base channels andvertical rods are spaced around the entire periphery of the floor, beingtied in when adjacent to the floor groove to the transverse floor frameelement rods. At the top of each wall frame element as sembly is achannel (e.g. 325) which is attached to the vertical rods (e.g. 310) andtied in with the transverse ceiling framing element rods (e:.g. 349) andhas similar horizontal rods 339 attached to it.

After The rods and channel members have been assembled so as to form theenclosure with the appropriate openings, mesh layers are then appliedaround the spaced rods of the various framing elements and also to formthe apertured core portion of the walls, ceiling and floor.

Thus, horizontal rods 311 are covered in sequence with coarse (e.g. 2inch) wire mesh layer 314 and then by successive fine wire mesh layers315 and 316. Vertical rods 310 are likewise covered in sequence with acoarse wire mesh layer 335 and then with successive fine wire meshlayers 336 and 3.37. Top horizontal rods 339 are similarly wrapped inmesh layers 340 and 341 and ceiling frame element rods 349 are likewisewrapped in successive mesh layers 350, 351 and 352.

The wall core is formed by connecting a-central wire mesh 323a coveredon each side by a fine wire mesh 340 and 341. Similarly the ceiling coreis formed from central coarse mesh 318a and fine mesh layers 330 and331. As indicated previously, the floor core is formed from mesh layers305, 306 and 307. It is generally preferred that the outer mesh layers(eg 340) be so arranged that they are close to the surface aftercementing (See FIG. 16). i

In one method of assembly, the entire rod, channel and wire skeleton isassembled and tied together, and appropriate forms then applied topermit embedding of the wire-wrapped rods and channel in cementitiousmaterial to form the framing elements. Cementitious material is alsoapplied to embed the core portions of the walls, ceiling and floor alsowith the aid of appropriate forms to form the integral cover member.

The assembly of the skeleton frame can also be done in sections, as forexample, welding the vertical rods to the upper and lower channels foreach wall separately. As is readily apparent, the door and window areascan be cut out and formed either during or after the time when thewalls, ceiling and floor cores are being connected.

After the concrete has been placed on all the desired sections, it ispreferably vibrated to ensure penetration. After the concrete has set,the fbrms are removed with the floor being poured last. To assist incuring, the entire building can be enclosed by a flexible material, as

for example, a plastic tent, and steam applied. I

In one modification of the method of assembly, the

' framing elements are assembled but cementitiousmaterial is poured andcured on the floor, portion first. This permits support of forms on thefloor to complete the pouring of cementitious material, particularly forthe ceiling.

The unit is then finished by inserting desired interior partitions,electrical wiring and fixtures, plumbing and fixtures, outside panelsfor insulation and weather between the vertical framing elements, afunctional or decorative roof, windows, doors, etc.

The modular building unit thus comprises a floor 317, a ceiling 318,spaced floor frame elements 319, spaced ceiling frame element 320,horizontal lower wall frame elements 321, vertical wall frame elements322, vertical wall portion of covering member 323 and upper horizontalwall frame elements 324.

In certai'n situations, as for example, in erecting multiple-dwellingbuildings, the modular building unit can comprise framing elements andcover portions for the floor, two opposite walls, and the ceiling, theend walls being open.

What is claimed is:

1. A cementitious building unit having at least a floor, two opposingwalls and a ceiling, a continuous interior surface and a ribbedexterior, comprising:

a. framing elements for the floor, ceiling and exterior walls, saidframing elements consisting of upper peripheral horizontal framingelements, lower peripheral horizontal framing elements, vertical framingelements extending between said upper and lower elements andintermediate horizontal framing elements extending between saidperipheral horizontal elements:

b. at least one layer of wire mesh attached to said framing elements andextending over the interior surfaces of said framing elements so as toform the core for the floor, ceiling and exterior walls; provision beingmade in said framing elements and wire mesh layers for open portions,such as windows, doors, chimneys, conduit spaces and the like; and

c. a mass of cementitious material interspersed in and surrounding saidwire mesh layers so as to form the floor, ceiling and exterior walls asa continuous interior surface, with the forming elements formingexterior ribs; the portions of said floor, ceiling and walls whichextend between said framing elements being thin.

2. The building unit of claim 1 wherein the portions of said floor,ceiling and walls which extend between said framing elements have theirouter wire mesh layers close to the surface after cementing.

3. The building unit of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the portions ofsaid floor, ceiling and walls which extend between said framing elementsis approximately /2 to 1% inches.

4. The building unit of claim 1 wherein spaced rods are used inconjunction with said wire mesh and are embedded in said cementitiousmaterial.

5. The buildingunit of claim 1 wherein a said framing element is ametallic member.

6. The building unit of claim 1 wherein a said framing element comprisesmetallic elements embedded in cementitious material.

7. The building unit of claim 1 where said cementitious materialconsists essentially of Portland cement and sand.

8. The building unit of claim 1 wherein a said framing element comprisesspaced rods wrapped with wire mesh and embedded in cementitiousmaterial.

9. The building unit of claim 8 made by first assembling and tyingtogether all rods and wire mesh to form a skeleton and then embeddingthe skeleton in cementitious material consisting essentially of Portlandcement and sand.

10. The building unit of claim 1 wherein there are exterior finishingelements fitted in between adjacent framing elements so as to coverselected portions of the exterior surface of the cementitious wire meshlayer.

11. The building unit of claim 10 wherein said finishing elementsinclude sheets of insulating material fitted in between adjacent framingelements.

12. The building unit of claim 1 positioned on another building unitmade in accordance with claim 1.

13. The building unit of claim 1 wherein there are a floor, ceiling andtwo opposite walls, with the end walls being open.

14. The building unit of claim 1 wherein said cementitious materialconsists essentially of Portland cement and sand, the thickness of theportions of said floor, ceiling and walls which extend between saidframing elements is approximately /2 to 1% inches, and a said framingelement comprises metallic elements embedded in cementitious material.

15. A cementitious building unit having at least a floor, two opposingwalls and a ceiling, a continuous interior surface and a ribbedexterior, comprising:

a. framing elements for the floor, ceiling and exterior walls, saidframing elements including peripheral horizontal framing elements eachof which contains a channel member anchored to rods wrapped with wiremesh and embedded in cementitious material;

b. at least one layer of wire mesh attached to said framing elements andextending over the interior surfaces of said framing elements so as toform the core for the floor, ceiling and exterior walls; provision beingmade in said framing elements and wire mesh layers for open portions,such as windows, doors, chimneys, conduit spaces and the like; and

c. a mass of cementitious material interspersed in the surrounding saidwire mesh layers so as to form the floor, ceiling and exterior walls asa continuous interior surface, with the framing elements formingexterior ribs; the portions of said floor, ceiling and walls whichextend between said framing elements being thin.

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONPATENT N0. 3 874 134 DATED April 1 1975 INVENTOWS) 1 Albert Feldman andRobert Feldman It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

On the title page [63] change "53,675" to "33,675".

Signed and Scaled this twenty-fifth Day Of November 1975 [SEAL] A ttest:

RUTH C. MASON I C. MARSHALL DANN Attesu'ng Officer CommissionerufParenIs and Trademarks

1. A cementitious building unit having at least a floor, two opposingwalls and a ceiling, a continuous interior surface and a ribbedexterior, comprising: a. framing elements for the floor, ceiling andexterior walls, said framing elements consisting of upper peripheralhorizontal framing elements, lower peripheral horizontal framingelements, vertical framing elements extending between said upper andlower elements and intermediate horizontal framing elements extendingbetween said peripheral horizontal elements: b. at least one layer ofwire mesh attached to said framing elements and extending over theinterior surfaces of said framing elements so as to form the core forthe floor, ceiling and exterior walls; provision being made in saidframing elements and wire mesh layers for open portions, such aswindows, doors, chimneys, conduit spaces and the like; and c. a mass ofcementitious material interspersed in and surrounding said wire meshlayers so as to form the floor, ceiling and exterior walls as acontinuous interior surface, with the forming elements forming exteriorrIbs; the portions of said floor, ceiling and walls which extend betweensaid framing elements being thin.
 2. The building unit of claim 1wherein the portions of said floor, ceiling and walls which extendbetween said framing elements have their outer wire mesh layers close tothe surface after cementing.
 3. The building unit of claim 1 wherein thethickness of the portions of said floor, ceiling and walls which extendbetween said framing elements is approximately 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches. 4.The building unit of claim 1 wherein spaced rods are used in conjunctionwith said wire mesh and are embedded in said cementitious material. 5.The building unit of claim 1 wherein a said framing element is ametallic member.
 6. The building unit of claim 1 wherein a said framingelement comprises metallic elements embedded in cementitious material.7. The building unit of claim 1 where said cementitious materialconsists essentially of Portland cement and sand.
 8. The building unitof claim 1 wherein a said framing element comprises spaced rods wrappedwith wire mesh and embedded in cementitious material.
 9. The buildingunit of claim 8 made by first assembling and tying together all rods andwire mesh to form a skeleton and then embedding the skeleton incementitious material consisting essentially of Portland cement andsand.
 10. The building unit of claim 1 wherein there are exteriorfinishing elements fitted in between adjacent framing elements so as tocover selected portions of the exterior surface of the cementitious wiremesh layer.
 11. The building unit of claim 10 wherein said finishingelements include sheets of insulating material fitted in betweenadjacent framing elements.
 12. The building unit of claim 1 positionedon another building unit made in accordance with claim
 1. 13. Thebuilding unit of claim 1 wherein there are a floor, ceiling and twoopposite walls, with the end walls being open.
 14. The building unit ofclaim 1 wherein said cementitious material consists essentially ofPortland cement and sand, the thickness of the portions of said floor,ceiling and walls which extend between said framing elements isapproximately 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches, and a said framing element comprisesmetallic elements embedded in cementitious material.
 15. A cementitiousbuilding unit having at least a floor, two opposing walls and a ceiling,a continuous interior surface and a ribbed exterior, comprising: a.framing elements for the floor, ceiling and exterior walls, said framingelements including peripheral horizontal framing elements each of whichcontains a channel member anchored to rods wrapped with wire mesh andembedded in cementitious material; b. at least one layer of wire meshattached to said framing elements and extending over the interiorsurfaces of said framing elements so as to form the core for the floor,ceiling and exterior walls; provision being made in said framingelements and wire mesh layers for open portions, such as windows, doors,chimneys, conduit spaces and the like; and c. a mass of cementitiousmaterial interspersed in the surrounding said wire mesh layers so as toform the floor, ceiling and exterior walls as a continuous interiorsurface, with the framing elements forming exterior ribs; the portionsof said floor, ceiling and walls which extend between said framingelements being thin.